View source for Letzigrund

{{Short description|Stadium in Zurich, Switzerland}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = Stadion Letzigrund
| nickname = Letzi
| image = File:Letzigrund 2024 2.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| image_caption = Letzigrund in 2024
| location = [[Zurich]], Switzerland
| broke_ground = 15 November 2005
| built = 2006–2007
| opened = 30 August 2007
| owner = City of Zurich
| operator = City of Zurich
| surface = 
| scoreboard = 
| publictransit = Tram lines 2, 3, 4, 13, 14 and 17
| construction_cost = CHF 120 million (2007)
| architect = Bétrix & Consolascio, Frei & Ehrensperger<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.frei-ehrensperger.ch/fr_03.html |title=Bauten - Frei & Ehrensperger |access-date=2009-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216011042/http://www.frei-ehrensperger.ch/fr_03.html |archive-date=2009-02-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| structural engineer = 
| general_contractor = [[Implenia]]
| capacity = 26,105 (football, domestic league),<br> 24,061 (football, international matches),<br> 30,930 ([[UEFA Euro 2008]]),<br> 25,773 (athletics),<br> 50,044 (concerts)<ref>[https://www.stadionletzigrund.ch/docs/zahlen-und-fakten.pdf Stadium Letzigrund official website]</ref>
| record_attendance = 
| dimensions = 105 x 68 m
| tenants = [[FC Zürich]] <br/> [[Grasshopper Club Zürich]] <br />[[FC Zürich Frauen]]<br /> [[LC Zürich]]
}}
'''Letzigrund''' ({{IPA|de-CH|ˈlɛtsiɡrʊnd|lang|Letzigrund.ogg}}) is a [[stadium]] in [[Zurich]], Switzerland, the home of the [[football (soccer)|football]] clubs [[FC Zürich]] and [[Grasshopper Club Zürich]], as well as the [[Sport of athletics|athletics]] club {{Interlanguage link|LC Zürich|de|LC Zürich}}. The original stadium was constructed by members of FC Zürich in 1925. Grasshopper Club has been using it as their home stadium since 2007, shortly after construction of the new stadium was completed. 

The annual [[track and field]] meet [[Weltklasse Zürich]], part of the [[Diamond League]], has taken place at the Letzigrund since 1928, as have frequent open-air concerts. On the Letzigrund track on 21 June 1960, [[Armin Hary]] was the first human to run the [[100 metres]] in 10.0 seconds.<ref name="The 100 meters - World's First 10 Seconds Flat Race">{{cite web |url=http://speedendurance.com/2009/03/04/the-100-meters-worlds-first-10-seconds-flat-race/ |title= 10 Seconds Flat Race |access-date=February 13, 2015 |publisher=Speed Endurance }}</ref>

==Old stadium (1925–2006)==
{{Infobox venue
| name = Letzigrund<br><small>(old stadium)</small>
| nickname = Letzi
| image = [[File:Letzigrund 2006.jpg|100px|Last athletics event (August 2006)]]
| fullname = 
| location = [[Zürich]], [[Switzerland]]
| coordinates = {{coord|47|22|58|N|8|30|16|E|type:landmark_region:CH-ZH|name=Letzigrund (former stadium)}}
| built = 
| opened = 22 November 1925
| renovated = 
| expanded = 1947, 1958, 1973, 1984
| closed = 20 August 2006
| demolished = 2006
| owner = [[FC Zürich]] (1925–1937),<br> City of Zurich (1937–2006)
| operator = 
| surface = 
| scoreboard = 
| construction_cost = 
| capacity = 25,000 (football);<br>48,000 (concerts, 2006)
| record_attendance = 
| dimensions = 
| tenants = [[FC Zürich]], [[LC Zürich]]
}}
The old Letzigrund stadium was opened on 22 November 1925 and was owned by [[FC Zürich]]. In 1937, during the [[Great Depression]], ownership was transferred to the city of Zurich, which has operated the Letzigrund ever since. It underwent extensive remodeling in 1947, 1958, 1973, and 1984. Lighting was added in 1973. The first open-air concert there was held in 1996.

The capacity of the stadium was 25,000 and the main pitch was {{convert|105|x|68|m|yd}}, with athletics facilities. There were also three other playing fields: two lawns, an [[artificial turf]], and a small packed sand field. The old Letzigrund also contained a bar and a restaurant within the stadium.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

== New stadium (2007–present) ==
In the 1990s, the athletics club Zürich pushed for a modernisation of the facilities at Letzigrund, in order to even better accommodate the athletes of Weltklasse Zürich. In 1997, the city parliament decided favourably on an upgrade of the stadium, whereas the city administration was simultaneously working on a reconstruction plan.<ref name="Letzigrund Reconstruction Timeline">{{cite web |title=Reconstruction |url=http://www.stadionletzigrund.ch/en/reconstruction/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150215015529/http://www.stadionletzigrund.ch/en/reconstruction/ |archive-date=February 15, 2015 |access-date=February 13, 2015 |publisher=City of Zurich administration, stadium management}}</ref> At the same time, the owners of the [[Hardturm]] football stadium were also planning to reconstruct their stadium.

In 2003, the new Hardturm stadium was approved by the city population in a public vote, but subsequently, legal objections by neighbourhood and environmental groups put the timely realisation for the [[2008 European Football Championship|EURO 2008]] tournament, for which it was chosen by [[UEFA]] in 2002 as one of eight venues, in jeopardy. As a result, the planning process for the new Letzigrund stadium was accelerated. In 2005, the city population approved the reconstruction of the public stadium and the costs of temporarily adjusting the stadium to the requirements of EURO 2008 in two separate referendums.

Originally planned for 2009, the new Letzigrund stadium was opened on August 30, 2007.<ref name="Swissinfo-Matthew">{{cite web |last=Matthew |first=Allen |date=August 31, 2007 |title=Letzigrund opening |url=http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/new-letzigrund-opening-ends-euro-2008-saga/970002 |access-date=February 13, 2015 |publisher=Swissinfo}}</ref> The first sports event there was the annual [[Weltklasse Zürich]] on September 7 with 26,500 spectators. The first football game was [[FC Zürich]] vs. [[Grasshopper Club Zürich]] on September 23. It hosted three games during the 2008 European championships, with a capacity of up to 30,000. The current capacity is 25,000 for football events, 26,000 for athletics and 50,000 for concerts.<ref name="Swissinfo-Matthew" />

On 2 October 2011, the [[Swiss Football League]] game between FC Zürich and Grasshopper Club Zürich held at the stadium saw a [[2011_Zurich_hooligan_incident|major incident]] of [[football hooliganism]]. During the 74th minute of the match, with Grasshopper Club Zürich leading 2–1, a masked FC Zürich fan threw a lit flare into the Grasshopper Club Zürich fan section. This incited a violent reaction from the Grasshopper Club Zürich fans, several dozen of whom rushed towards the fence separating the two groups and attempted to fight back with flagpoles. The referee abandoned the match due to safety concerns. Six people were injured in the riot that ensued. The game had to be abandoned with approximately 15 minutes of regular time to go. Also dubbed the "Disgrace of Zürich" ({{Langx|de|Skandal/Schande von Zürich}}) by Swiss media,<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Kern |first1=Max |last2=Wegmann |first2=Michael |date=2 October 2011 |title=Die Schande von Zürich |url=https://www.blick.ch/sport/fussball/superleague/spielabbruch-beim-zuercher-derby-die-schande-von-zuerich-id87053.html |access-date=25 June 2024 |work=Blick}}</ref> this incident represented a second major episode of hooligan violence in Switzerland within five years, after a [[2006 Basel hooligan incident|hooligan incident of similar significance]] occurred in [[Basel]] in 2006.

In 2025, the Administrative Court of the Canton of Zurich dismissed an appeal against the private design plan for construction at [[Hardturm]] in [[Zurich West]], which includes a new football stadium, apartments and commercial buildings. Construction could begin in 2028 if no further legal action is taken.<ref>{{Cite web |title=News |url=https://www.fcz.ch/pages/news/projekt-ensemble-verwaltungsgericht-zurich-weist-beschwerde-gegen-gestaltungsplan-vollumfanglich-ab |access-date=2025-10-10 |website=FC Zürich |language=de}}</ref>

==Matches==

=== UEFA Euro 2008 ===
The stadium was one of the venues for the [[UEFA Euro 2008]]. Three games were played at the stadium during the tournament. 

{| class="wikitable"
|+ UEFA Euro 2008 matches played at Letzigrund
|-
!scope="col"| Date
!scope="col"| Team #1
!scope="col"| Result
!scope="col"| Team #2
!scope="col"| Round
!scope="col"| Spectators
|-
!scope="row"| 9 June 2008
| {{flagicon|ROU}} [[Romania national football team|Romania]]
|style="text-align:center;"| 0–0
| {{flagicon|FRA|1974}} [[France national football team|France]]
| [[UEFA Euro 2008 Group C|Group C]]
|style="text-align:center;"| 30,585
|-
!scope="row"| 13 June 2008
| {{flagicon|ROU}} [[Romania national football team|Romania]]
|style="text-align:center;"| 1–1
| {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Italy national football team|Italy]]
| [[UEFA Euro 2008 Group C|Group C]]
|style="text-align:center;"| 30,585
|-
!scope="row"| 17 June 2008
| {{flagicon|FRA|1974}} [[France national football team|France]]
|style="text-align:center;"| 0–2
| {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Italy national football team|Italy]]
| [[UEFA Euro 2008 Group C|Group C]]
|style="text-align:center;"| 30,585
|}

=== International matches ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+ International matches played at Letzigrund
|-
!scope="col"| Date
!scope="col"| Team #1
!scope="col"| Result
!scope="col"| Team #2
!scope="col"| Competition
|-
!scope="row"| 13 October 2007
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:right"| {{fb-rt|SUI}}
|style="text-align:center"| 3–1
| {{fb|AUT}}
| rowspan="3"| Men's friendly
|-
!scope="row"| 20 November 2007
|style="text-align:center"| 0–1
| {{fb|NGA}}
|-
!scope="row"| 6 February 2008
|style="text-align:right"| {{fb-rt|POR}}
|style="text-align:center"| 3–1
| {{fb|ITA}}
|-
!scope="row"| 10 September 2008
|style="text-align:right"| {{fb-rt|SUI}}
|style="text-align:center"| 1–2
| {{fb|LUX}}
| [[2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)|2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification]]
|-
!scope="row"| 1 June 2012
|style="text-align:right"| {{fb-rt|ITA}}
|style="text-align:center"| 0–3
| {{fb|RUS}}
|rowspan="6"| Men's friendly
|-
!scope="row"| 31 March 2015
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:right"| {{fb-rt|SUI}}
|style="text-align:center"| 1–1
| {{fb|USA}}
|-
!scope="row"| 29 March 2016
|style="text-align:center"| 0–2
| {{fb|BIH}}
|-
!scope="row"| 23 March 2018
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:right"| {{fb-rt|EGY}}
|style="text-align:center"| 1–2
| {{fb|POR}}
|-
!scope="row"| 27 March 2018
|style="text-align:center"| 0–1
| {{fb|GRE}}
|-
!scope="row"| 29 May 2018
|style="text-align:right"| {{fb-rt|KVX}}
|style="text-align:center"| 3–0
| {{fb|ALB}}
|-
!scope="row"| 22 October 2021
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:right"| {{fbw-rt|SUI}}
|style="text-align:center"| 2–0
| {{fbw|ROU}}
|rowspan="2"| [[2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification – UEFA Group G|2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification]]
|-
!scope="row"| 26 October 2021
|style="text-align:center"| 5–0
| {{fbw|CRO}}
|-
!scope="row"| 29 March 2022
|style="text-align:right"| {{fb-rt|SUI}}
|style="text-align:center"| 1–1
| {{fb|KVX}}
|Men's friendly
|-
!scope="row"| 30 June 2022
|rowspan="5" style="text-align:right"| {{fbw-rt|SUI}}
|style="text-align:center"| 0–4
| {{fbw|ENG}}
|Women's friendly
|-
!scope="row"| 11 October 2022
|style="text-align:center"| 2–1
| {{fbw|WAL}}
|[[2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification – UEFA play-offs|2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification]]
|-
!scope="row"| 31 October 2023
|style="text-align:center"| 1–7
| {{fbw|ESP}}
|[[2023–24 UEFA Women's Nations League A]]
|-
!scope="row"| 5 April 2024
|style="text-align:center"| 3–1
| {{fbw|TUR}}
|[[UEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying League B]]
|-
!scope="row"| 25 October 2024
|style="text-align:center"| 1–1
| {{fbw|AUS}}
|Women's friendly
|-
!scope="row"| 15 November 2024
|style="text-align:right"| {{fb-rt|SUI}}
|style="text-align:center"| 1–1
| {{fb|SRB}}
|[[2024–25 UEFA Nations League A]]
|-
!scope="row"| 29 November 2024
|style="text-align:right"| {{fbw-rt|SUI}}
|style="text-align:center"| 0–6
| {{fbw|GER}}
|Women's friendly
|}

=== UEFA Women's Euro 2025 ===
The stadium will be one of the venues for the [[UEFA Women's Euro 2025]]. Five games will be played at the stadium during the tournament.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;" width="70%"
|-
!Date
!Time ([[Central European Summer Time|CEST]])
!Team #1
!Res.
!Team #2
!Round
!Spectators
|-
|5 July 2025||21:00||{{fbw-rt|FRA}} ||style="text-align:center;"|2–1||{{fbw|ENG}}|| rowspan=2|[[UEFA Women's Euro 2025 Group D|Group D]]|| 22,542
|-
|9 July 2025||18:00||{{fbw-rt|ENG}} ||style="text-align:center;"|4–0||{{fbw|NED}}|| 22,600
|-
|12 July 2025||21:00||rowspan=2|{{fbw-rt|SWE}} ||style="text-align:center;"|4–1||{{fbw|GER}}||[[UEFA Women's Euro 2025 Group C|Group C]]|| 22,552
|-
|17 July 2025||21:00||style="text-align:center;"|2–2<br>(2–3 pen.)||{{fbw|ENG}}||[[UEFA Women's Euro 2025#Quarter-finals|Quarter-finals]]|| 22,397
|-
|23 July 2025||21:00||{{fbw-rt|GER}}||style="text-align:center;"|0–1 (a.e.t)||{{fbw|ESP}}||[[UEFA Women's Euro 2025#Semi-finals|Semi-finals]]|| 22,432
|-
|}

==Gallery==
<gallery class="center">
File:Old Letzigrund Stadium by Raymond Lafourchette.jpg|The old stadium, viewed from the [[Uetliberg]]
File:Démolition Ancien Letzigrund par Raymond Lafourchette.jpg|Demolition of the old stadium
File:New Letzigrund by Raymond Lafourchette.jpg|Building of the new stadium
File:Letzigrund 2007ii.jpg|Opening ceremony (30 August 2007)
File:Zurich Letzigrund by Raymond Lafourchette.jpg|Interior view of the new Letzigrund
File:Letzigrund 2007 1.jpg|The new stadium
</gallery>

== Public transport ==
Letzigrund can be reached via [[Trams in Zurich|tram lines]] 2, 3, 4, 13, 14 and 17.

==See also==
*[[List of football stadiums in Switzerland]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://www.stadionletzigrund.ch Official Website] {{in lang|de}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120327224525/http://allstadiums.ru/evropa/stadiony-shveycarii/letzigrund.html Stadion Letzigrund] {{in lang|ru}}
*{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100129075324/http://www.weltklassezuerich.ch/en/information/letzigrund-stadium.html|date=2010-01-29|title=Weltklasse Zürich stadium information}}

{{FC Zürich}}
{{Grasshopper Club Zürich}}
{{Euro 2008 stadiums}}
{{Football venues in Switzerland}}
{{European Athletics Championships stadiums}}
{{Diamond League venues}}
{{Zürich}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:FC Zürich]]
[[Category:Football venues in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Athletics venues in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Diamond League venues]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Zurich]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Zurich]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 2007]]
[[Category:2007 establishments in Switzerland]]
[[Category:21st-century architecture in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Grasshopper Club Zurich]]